Maryland leaders say changes under H.R.1, also known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” are already affecting food assistance recipients and could have a much broader impact on Medicaid coverage in the coming years.

More than 36,000 Marylanders have already lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits under changes in the law, according to state officials. New Medicaid requirements are also expected to affect hundreds of thousands of Maryland residents in the coming years.

There are new work requirements for SNAP recipients.

“About 80,000 new customers are going to be subject to these work requirements,” Larry Handerhan with the Maryland Department of Human Services said.

Handerhan said more than 36,000 Marylanders have already lost SNAP benefits under the changes. He said some refugees and people granted asylum are no longer eligible for benefits unless they have a green card.

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, new Medicaid work requirements and more frequent eligibility reviews take effect for about 320,000 Marylanders covered through the state’s Medicaid expansion program. Perrie Briskin, Maryland’s Medicaid director, noted that those requirements do not apply to children or pregnant women.

“We estimate that up to 152,000, close to half of that 320,000, could lose coverage over the course of 2027 and into 2028,” Briskin said.

But Briskin said the state believes many of those losses could be tied to paperwork rather than a failure to meet the work requirements.

“The high numbers we predict of those losing coverage are due to red tape, not due to the fact that they aren’t already working,” Briskin said.

She said outreach efforts, automation and, in some cases, artificial intelligence are being used to help prevent eligible Marylanders from losing coverage because of paperwork issues.

The state recommends that Medicaid and SNAP recipients keep their contact information current and respond to renewal notices as new requirements take effect.

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